Battle Corgi
by werewolf714
Summary: Born to a cruel and unforgiving world, Zwei has little hope for a better life yet he still refuses to give in and become the monster this world demands. Zwei stands true to who he is and in the end that may be the only thing to save his life.


_Long ago man found the companionship of dogs. These dogs, alongside dust wielding man helped forge the path of mankind. Over the sentries man learned that breading different types of dogs would create all new types and from there leaned they could breed specific aspects. From this the breed known as the battle corgi was born. Small and sturdy, the battle corgi was easy to transport, soldiers able to carry them or let them ride in their laps. Fiercely loyal and protective, they were often given to children as guardians. Water and fire resistant coats were purposely bred into them to accompany the natural cold resistance. These dogs were bred to assist man in his many struggles against the creatures of Grimm, however in more recent history the faithfully and protective canines found themselves fighting man and faunus alike at the bidding of their masters. _

_After this war was ended the battle corgi was seen with equal fear as praise, this left the perfect opportunity for the less savory type of humans to take and abuse them to make them aggressive toward all things living, which further tarnished their reputation. Some of these humans found out that if they abused the dogs from birth and starved them they would fight to the death over a scrap of meat, so was born the despicable underground sport of dog fighting. However, there is still hope for the battle corgis to return to their former glory…_

* * *

My first memory is of my mother, feeling her presence and hearing her words though I couldn't open my eyes yet.

"You are a good boy my son, no matter what, remember that. No matter how hungry they let you get, how much they try to hurt you. Don't hate them. If you hate them they will win, and you will be lost. I love you my son. You're a good boy."

She had such a beautiful voice, I wish I could have seen her, but they took me from her before I ever opened my eyes. Shortly after being taken from her I was moved to a noisy place, so many unhappy voices, so loud. It was cold there, and smelled of blood and urine.

The first time someone came to feed me they seemed angry but I couldn't understand what they were saying. They would force milk down my throat and leave again. It was unpleasant and lonely. At times I could hear my siblings but the box I was in wouldn't allow me to reach them.

This became the normal way of things for a long time then came the day I was able to open my eyes, everything was blurry and it was a while before I could actually see.

The place was usually dark and often cold, always noisy.

I was in a small metal cage that was high off the floor, my siblings in cages near me. There were other cages in the dark but I rarely saw them, the darkness not allowing that. When I did see them was when the humans came in to feed me and my siblings, they looked so mean, always angry.

The cages across from me held other dogs, full grown and I wondered if my mother was out there somewhere, trapped in one of the cages just big enough for the dogs to turn around.

I tried to pick apart what the other dogs were yelling at each other but they always talked at the same time and so loud, so angry.

They made it hard to sleep too.

I noticed when the humans came in, different ones than those who fed us, they would kick cages into each other, upsetting their occupants and causing even more angry scarls and barking.

Those humans seemed to find this amusing. They would also bang on the cages and yell at the other dogs angrily and other times they would take the dogs, one at a time and never more than four of them at a once, then a while later some of them would be brought back and they would always be hurt. At least one dog every time never came back.

I was able to walk and eat solid food by the time the humans started yelling at me and my siblings, angry words and banging on the cage door. I hated it, usually just laying in the back and covering my ears. I wondered if there was anything more to life then this horrible place. If there was such a thing as kind human.

Kind like mama had been.

It was so cold here, so lonely, filled with hate and pain.

Why was I born here?

This was my life for a long while until they decided I was big enough to begin 'training.' They took me from my cage, the place that had been my home and took me outside. It was so bright it was blinding. Once my eyes adjusted I saw more cages and pens, they took me to one and put a strange halter on me, the chain loaded with weights made it hard to move. It was hot and dusty here, I had no place to hide from the sun and my water bowl always ran empty by midday, whether I drank from it or not.

Several days passed like this then one day one of the humans who used to beat on my cage came out to my pen, grinning at me with hatred in his eyes and carrying a chain. He proceeded to beat me with the chain until the world went black.

* * *

I woke to the rain of the open sky, it was dark and cold and still no shelter. So I lay in the mud and cried. All I ever wanted was to be loved.

The days turned to weeks and at least once a week the man would come and beat me, yelling at me. I saw him do this with other dogs and watched as they all slowly became mean, full of hate.

I grew up in this hate filled place and yet still refused to become what they wanted me to. They wouldn't love me for it so I refused. I would not be tainted by their hate. The man would come more often as I grew, beating me with other things, trying to make me mean but I refused. I would take the beating, no matter how much it hurt. After a while I quit crying in pain at the strikes. This seemed to frustrate him.

When the weather turned cold and snow began coating the ground many of us were brought back in though I was placed in one of the larger cages on the floor.

By this time I had reached my full size and was very strong.

"Him, that black and gray one. He will be fighting next week. Let's see if he can fare any better than his useless mother." One of the humans said one day.

I wondered what they meant but deep down I knew.

My mother died here.

They needn't have bothered taking my food away, I didn't want to eat after that anyway. They wanted me to fight. To kill my own kind and that was something I simply didn't wish to do.

Even at the cost of my own life.

It was nearing the day of my fight when new humans came into the cage room.

There were two of them, a man and a woman. The woman had a stern look to her, light hair and stern yet kind eyes. She wore glasses and carried an item like one of the things I had been beaten with. The man had wild, slightly darker hair, he too wore glasses though his were rounder. He wore a trench coat and carried something that held liquid he was drinking and it smelled good.

They looked around as their eyes adjusted to the darker room and I found myself hoping they were as kind as I felt like they were.

"By the… There are so many…" The woman said.

"Seems they've been operating a long time, atrocious." The man replied.

"They will have to all be put down…" The woman said.

My heart sank. They were here to kill us.

"Surely not all, If they haven't tasted blood yet they still have a chance." The man argued. The woman looked out over the cages again.

"How can we tell them apart though? They all seem… Vicious." She said.

"Perhaps not!" The man said, spotting me. He knelt by my cage and looked me over, seeming to honestly care.

"This one doesn't have any scars and he's being quiet." The man said.

"Careful, Oobleck." The woman cautioned.

He reached up and laid a hand flat to my cage. I tilted my head then rested my paw against his hand. For a moment I swear he was glowing and I felt a little odd then normal again.

"Well?" The woman asked.

The one called Oobleck smiled at me then opened my cage.

"He's a good dog, a gentle soul that just wants to be loved." He answered, reaching over to pet my flank as I carefully stepped out. "He doesn't belong here."

I walked over to him. He knew so well how I felt and I laid my head against his leg, leaning on him while he gently stroked my sides and scratched behind my ears. He was so kind and loving it brought tears to my eyes. I had accepted the fact that I would die before I ever met another kind soul.

"If my apartment allowed pets I would take him home in a heartbeat." Oobleck said softly.

"Still, we have to take care of the others too." The woman reminded him.

He nodded and stood. "I'll start looking for more of those we can have rehabilitated."

The woman nodded and motioned for me to follow her as she started out of the room, back outside. I wanted to stay with the man but followed without question. Once outside I saw lots more humans and activity. Those who had been so cruel to me all my life thus far were in shackles and all sitting off to the side with men wearing uniforms training weapons on them to ensure they wouldn't run.

I found it oddly satisfying that they were chained and I was free. The woman led me to something called a 'truck' and had me wait for her there. She and the man brought out several small kennels with young ones inside and a few others like me though they seemed a bit mean and were kept in their cages.

Once they had gotten all of us who 'had a chance' one of the men in uniform carried something over to the door and flung it in then quickly pushed the door closed.

There was a loud pop and I watched as clouds seemed to form in the windows and slowly the loud angry barking I had heard all my life fell silent.

"Rest in peace…" Oobleck sighed from his place near the truck.

"Time to go." The woman stated and got in the truck.

Oobleck picked me up from the back of the truck and shut the door, carrying me around to the other side from the one the woman had gotten in and he climbed in, setting me in the seat between them. It was the softest surface I had ever known…

The woman groaned at him but didn't openly tell him to put me back in the back so I got to stay in the cab with them.

"I wish we could have saved more of them." Oobleck sighed after a few minutes of the drive.

"We can't save everyone no matter how hard we try." She replied sympathetically.

"It honestly breaks my heart to think anyone could ever be this cruel to an animal, Glynda." Oobleck sighed as he ran his hand from behind my ears down my back over and over.

"I know." Glynda sighed. They continued talking but the calm tone and loving treatment lulled me into the best sleep I'd ever known.

I was safe.

* * *

I was taken to a large, strong smelling place where a man called a 'vet' checked me and the others over to make sure we were all healthy. After that Oobleck brought a man to meet me.

"You're positive he will be good for my girls?" The man asked.

"Without doubt." Oobleck smiled.

After that I went with the man, we took a ride in a flying machine to an island known as 'Patch' and he introduced me to his girls.

I loved them instantly.

Especially the smaller, dark haired one.

"Just like I promised, here's your new friend." The man smiled, setting me in the grass in front of the two young human girls.

"He's cute." The taller one smiled.

"GOGGY!" The other exclaimed then rushed over.

"Oh, Ruby don't sca-" The man started by the girl had already tackled me to the ground and was hugging me tightly. I wagged my tail, something I had never done before, and gave her lots of kisses.

The man and both girls laughed.

"What are we going to name him?" The man asked.

"I like Zwei." The taller girl said as she started rubbing my ears.

"ZWEEE!" Ruby said, her voice muffled from my fur which she had buried her face in as she hugged me. I barked happily, hearing my voice sounding happy was also new to me.

I liked it.

"Zwei it is then." The man smiled.

I swore from that moment on I would look after these dear girls as I would my own pups, love them every minute of every day until the day I died. Which is something that has yet to happen.

I watched these girls grow into strong women and would one day fight by their side.

That however, is another story.


End file.
